


burnt norton

by orphan_account



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: M/M, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-22
Updated: 2020-02-22
Packaged: 2021-02-28 06:20:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,388
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22845478
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Three (completely!!!) hypothetical questions, two boys with a hangover, and one ramen joint booth in Seoul.
Relationships: Jeon Wonwoo/Kwon Soonyoung | Hoshi
Comments: 5
Kudos: 60





	burnt norton

**Author's Note:**

> fic title's from poem of the same name by t.s. eliot
> 
> also everyone's aged down a bit

“So!” Soonyoung says, and Wonwoo pauses, immediately sensing something ominous from the syllable alone. “So, Wonwoo-yah, let’s say you’re 30 years old and still single and you had no choice but to date someone from our friend group, who would you date?”

Wonwoo sets his drink down. “What?”

Soonyoung splays his fingers on the table. “Just. Imagine everyone else is dating except for you. You’d feel lonely naturally, right? And you’d have no choice but to start looking at your friends as someone you’d potentially date, right? If that happens, who would you choose?”

“No one?” Wonwoo raises an eyebrow. “Didn’t you say everyone else is dating and taken? I wouldn’t want to be the third-party in any relationship.”

“No,” Soonyoung says, frowning. “No, no. That’s not what I meant. Everyone else you know is taken except for the rest of the guys. And it bothers you so you decide to date someone from our friend group. Who would you date then?”

“Ah, but that’s where you’re mistaken,” Wonwoo says. “It wouldn’t bother me at all.”

Soonyoung sighs. “No, I know but, like, what if it _did_?”

“Why would it?”

“Oh, I don’t know!” Soonyoung huffs, clearly frustrated. “Just answer the damn question.”

Wonwoo leans back on his chair, face spelling amusement. “Where is this all coming from?”

“Nothing,” Soonyoung says, shaking his head. He stabs his _tteokbokki_ like they’ve done him dirty. “It’s coming from nothing. Nowhere. Just curious.”

Wonwoo watches him in mild alarm as he stuffs three pieces in his mouth, cheeks all puffed up. He says, “This is about last night, isn’t it?”

“Wha abouch lash niht?”

Five years of friendship have made him master Soonyoung language. He answers, “When I took a shot rather than answer Jun’s question.”

Soonyoung, 22-year-old enigma, swallows down his food, avoids his eyes. “I don’t even remember Jun’s question.”

“Sure,” Wonwoo snorts, “but this morning you conveniently remember that I have to treat you out because I lost the bet. Okay, I believe you.”

Soonyoung sighs, “Fine, whatever, it is. What about it?”

“Shouldn’t I be asking you that?”

“Why would you be asking me that?”

“Because you’re clearly hung up on something so trivial?” Wonwoo says. “What’s the deal, really? Why are you so invested in my answer?”

Soonyoung’s face morphs into a strange mix of offended and flustered. “I’m not.” Wonwoo raises an eyebrow at that. “I’m not! Not in _your_ answer specifically. It’s just—I’m just curious! And I’m curious about the other guys’ answer as well! You’re not the only one I’m pestering about this, you know.”

“Okay well, who have you asked?”

“What?”

“You said I’m not the only one. Who else have you pestered?”

“I, uh,” Soonyoung swallows. “Jihoon?”

Wonwoo, unbelieving of anything that comes out of Soonyoung’s mouth, deadpans: “Jihoon was fast asleep on Mingyu’s back in the kitchen. You managed to wake him up and got him to have a little chit-chat with you despite his hangover? Without him _killing_ you?”

“Not this morning!” Soonyoung says, unnecessarily mixing his noodles as though he’ll find a decent excuse at the bottom of the bowl somewhere. “We, uh, talked after the drinking games! When everyone else was starting to pass out! Yeah, that’s right.” He nods determinedly, like he’s either proud of or trying to convince himself.

Wonwoo decides to humour him. “And who did he say he wanted to date?”

“He didn’t answer!” Soonyoung replies. “He, um, passed out before he got to answer. I’m going to ask him about it again later. But for now, I’m asking you. You know, ‘cause you’re here now.”

Wonwoo shakes his head, getting back to his food.

“So! Who is it, Mr. Jeon? Is it Jihoon? Joshua? Or do you perhaps like younger guys like Mingyu? You _are_ pretty close.”

“I’m not playing this game with you,” Wonwoo says.

“Why not?” Soonyoung practically _whines_ , and Wonwoo stubbornly keeps his eyes casted downwards, to his bowl. “It’s just a question! I won’t tell the person you picked him, promise! I won’t even tell anyone else!”

“ _No_ , Soonyoung.”

“Oh, come on! Don’t be such a stick in the ass.”

Wonwoo glowers at him. “I’m leaving you here to pay for your own bill, you jerk—”

Soonyoung hastily stops him, hand on his wrist. Nervous laughter spilling from his lips. “I’m kidding, I’m kidding! Don’t leave me, please.”

Wonwoo sits back down, eyes narrowed, but he doesn’t remove the fingers from his wrist. If Soonyoung notices then he doesn’t comment, just squeezes briefly then lets go. Soonyoung asks, “Are you really not gonna answer?”

Wonwoo just stares at him.

“Can I take a guess at least?”

Silence.

“Okay, well is he older or younger?”

No response.

“We’re doing this the hard way, I see. Do you want me to mention everyone’s names and gauge a reaction out of you? Because I’m gonna do it. You can’t stop me.”

Not a single word.

“Okay, then. I know it’s not Seungcheol or Jeonghan because you’ve mentioned that they’re not really your type before.” Wonwoo’s eyebrows slightly shoot up because huh, he remembers _that_? And Soonyoung must’ve realized because he hastily lists down the rest of the boys. “Jihoon? No? How about Mingyu? Junhui? Dokyeom? Minghao? Who else have I forgotten… oh right, Joshua hyung? He’s a great candidate.”

Wonwoo blinks at him, unamused.

“I hope it’s not the younger ones,” Soonyoung says, “but it doesn’t matter, really! I’m not gonna judge you or anything. Is it Hansol? Seungkwan? Chan?” He squints at Wonwoo’s face, looking for a bit of reaction. A flicker, a ghost of a smile, pinking cheeks. Anything, really, but— “Your face is not moving an inch! I can’t even tell what you’re thinking. Do you hate me right now? I know you hate me right now.”

His eyes flicker back up to Wonwoo’s, no other parts of his face supposedly giving him away so he tries the blank irises behind those glasses. Then, he says, “Hey, is it perhaps…” he inches closer with a small playful smile, “me?”

At that, Wonwoo looks down then digs into his mostly-finished ramen. “This is stupid.”

“Wh…” Soonyoung blinks. “Is it me? Did I get it right? It’s me?”

“You’re stupid,” Wonwoo says. “What do you gain from this?”

“Oh my god, it _is_ me.”

“I never said that!”

“You didn’t deny!”

“Well I didn’t deny it with anyone either,” Wonwoo says. “How are you so sure you’re correct?”

Soonyoung tilts his head. “So are you denying it then?”

“Denying what?”

“That you’d date me?” Soonyoung says. “Are you gonna flat out say you wouldn’t choose to date me out of all the guys?” Noticing Wonwoo’s hedging, he coaxes a bit more with a deal breaker he knows Wonwoo can’t resist, “C’mon, if you tell the truth, I’d tell you my answer to the question too.”

Wonwoo’s forehead creases, and Soonyoung watches as he opens his mouth and closes it as if thinking. “I… no, I’m—Yes, I would date… someone else,” he says, a beat too late, an obvious hesitance hanging in the air.

Soonyoung grins, shit-eating, leaning back against the chair. “No, you wouldn’t.”

Wonwoo glares at him. “I would, now that I know you’re going to be a little shit about this.”

At the subtle admission, Soonyoung barks out a surprised laugh, a hint of colour grazing the tips of his ears. “Hey, I never said I wasn’t going to be all smug about it. I just said I wouldn’t tell anyone.”

“Now you have to tell me yours too,” Wonwoo says, narrowing his eyes at Soonyoung.

“No, I don’t.”

“You said you would.”

“I _said_ I’d only tell you mine if you tell the truth,” Soonyoung says, “and you didn’t. I had to bully the answer out of you. It has to be voluntary.”

Wonwoo bares his teeth. “You _cheater_ ,” he hisses, then proceeds to flick leftover rice to Soonyoung’s face which Soonyoung tries to dodge with laughter and successive _stop stop STOPs_ escalating in pitch by the second. When Wonwoo pantomimes reaching for the ramen bowl filled with leftover soup still, uneaten toppings floating pitifully, Soonyoung reaches for his hand to stop him in panic. In the end, they’re both laughing loudly at a ramen joint booth at 8AM in the harsh winter of Seoul.

“You give me headache,” Soonyoung says but he’s smiling.

Wonwoo’s lips quirk up. “Are you sure it’s not the hangover?”

“Nah, the ramen did the trick for that,” Soonyoung says. “Thanks for the treat, by the way.”

“It’s not for free,” Wonwoo tells him, and he grins at Soonyoung’s expression. “This just means _you_ have to pay for next time.”

Soonyoung waves him off good-naturedly. “Yeah, yeah whatever.”

And it’s quiet, after that. There’s the bell chiming when a customer walks in, someone as stupid as they are for getting ramen for breakfast. There’s the rumble of the ceiling fan, the low hum of the speakers overhead blaring some Japanese ballad. There’s also Soonyoung thinking, quiet but somehow Wonwoo could almost hear over the background noise. He can practically see the gears on Soonyoung’s mind turning, turning, and there must be so much he’s keeping under his thick blonde hair.

Wonwoo never really knows what to prepare for when it’s Soonyoung. From the back of his mind, he hears a grumble of _fucking Geminis_ which sounds suspiciously like Jihoon.

“So,” Soonyoung starts, and oh God, it’s here again. “So! Hypothetically—”

“Please don’t be a stupid question.”

“Shut up! Hypothetically, let’s say—this is all hypothetic, okay—that I choose you as someone who I’d date, how would you feel?” Soonyoung says, and he tests out a laugh that looks a lot like a wince.

He pauses. “How hypothetical are we talking?”

“Um, very? Hypothetical?” Soonyoung clears his throat, and he seems to have given himself a quiet internal pep talk because he suddenly sits up straight and adds: “I have another hypothetic situation, connected to that.”

Cautiously, Wonwoo asks, “What is it?”

“Okay, so, um,” Soonyoung says, “So, let’s say, hypothetically, I asked you out.”

“…asked me out.”

“Yeah. You know, on a date,” Soonyoung laughs nervously. “Let’s say I actually _did_ want to date you, and I _did_ do something about it. What would your response be?”

“My response.”

“Yes, your response. Like, would you be weirded out? Be disgusted or something? Hate me?”

“Hate you?”

“Ha—stop repeating everything I say and actually answer the damn question!” Soonyoung scowls, face red.

When Wonwoo gets his thoughts aligned, he schools his face to the most neutral expression (which, by the way, he lauds himself for) he knows Soonyoung is gonna hate and says, “And this is all just a what-if situation?”

Soonyoung swallows. “Yes, totally. It’s just a, you know, a silly thought. Like the others. If I win the lottery, if I quit the dance club. If I asked you out on a date…”

“Are we sure it’s a question of if and not a _when_?” Wonwoo tries to taunt. It makes Soonyoung flush completely, much to Wonwoo's delight now that the tables have been turned.

“I—uh, it’s not—” Soonyoung flounders, and he seems to be aware he’s red all over and he’s hating himself for it. “It’s just a question! Stop smiling! You know what, whatever. Forget it. Forget I ever said anything. I hate you so much, ugh—” and he drops his face to the table with startling intensity Wonwoo finds comical initially but less when Soonyoung does it again and again.

He stops Soonyoung from hitting his head on the table once more by using his hands as cushion. “Stop that.” Soonyoung does not lift his head from Wonwoo’s hands but he does stop trying to bruise his head. Wonwoo says, “You can’t die not hearing my hypothetical answer.”

Face still squished on Wonwoo’s hand, Soonyoung mumbles, “Am I gonna hate you more because of it?”

“Well, do you wanna know if you’re going to?” Wonwoo asks softly, poking Soonyoung’s cheek a bit. It takes a few seconds but Soonyoung comes to eventually. He lifts his head but not his eyes, scowling at the spoon next to his bowl.

“Okay, so hypothetically you think of me as someone you would date,” Wonwoo says, watching in mildly concealed amusement as Soonyoung groans in embarrassment. “And you ask me out. And we’re not anywhere near 30 or anything and it’s not just because you’re pressured not to stay single for the rest of your young adult life. You know what I would hypothetically feel?” Soonyoung still refuses to look up. “I would— _hypothetically_ , of course—be flattered.”

Wonwoo continues, “Hypothetically, I’d also agree to go on a date with you.”

It comes slow—Soonyoung’s breath. He exhales like he’s held it in this whole time. He finally, _finally_ looks up to meet Wonwoo’s eyes. He stops for a bit, as if registering the whole thing in his mind. His face lights up like fire—smile small at first, then consuming. Flames licking the edge of his lips to the widest grin. “I knew it,” Soonyoung laughs, mouth made of light and eyes rivaling the sun. “I knew you’d want to date me!”

The complete 180 catches Wonwoo off-guard. “Hypothetically!”

“Yes, sure, hypothetically,” Soonyoung says, then he looks down to read a new text from his phone. His cheeks still hold a bit of color on them which Wonwoo realizes he only notices because he’s staring. “You know, I have to leave in a few for an audition.”

Wonwoo blinks. “Oh, sure, that’s alright.”

“Yeah…” Soonyoung smiles, “I’ll see you in the afternoon?”

“I’ll text you.”

“Okay,” Soonyoung says, standing up to leave. He looks at Wonwoo for a bit before asking, “Hypothetically, if I asked for a good luck kiss, would you give me one?”

Soonyoung fails to dodge the jacket Wonwoo collects from his chair and throws to his face. He laughs at Wonwoo, slips into the clothing with practiced ease. Wonwoo says, “I’m not kissing you when your breath reeks of ramen.”

“So you’d kiss me under different circumstances?”

Wonwoo shakes his head but he can’t fight the smile even when he tries. The winter’s harsh but not so much now. He says, “Go ace that audition, Kwon. I’ll see you in the afternoon.”

**Author's Note:**

> this gave me headache bec this is the most dialogue-heavy fic i've ever written


End file.
